As Colombia approaches presidential elections next year, the US decision to decertify the country in the war on drugs plays into the hands of its allies on the political right, writes NICK MacWILLIAM
Cuban education expert meets British teachers
After an inspiring meeting in Bolton Socialist Club addressed by a visitor from the Cuban Ministry of Higher Education, teacher ROBERT POOLE reflects on what we can learn from the education system in Cuba
Cuban school kids
[Adam Jones / Creative Commons] 
The move against alleged PKK members that sparked outrage as a community centre in north London was raided last year has now come to trial, writes TONY BURKE, but in the meantime, the peace process abroad has changed the situation almost entirely
A new report points a way to overcome complacent framing of climate issues, ‘by sparking a wider public reckoning with climate realities,’ and reconnecting with working-class people. IAN SINCLAIR reports
We cannot understand today’s world without understanding the rise of China – and we cannot understand China without understanding how it was shaped by the second world war, writes JENNY CLEGG
NICK WRIGHT reports from Italy, where 80 cities saw Gaza strikes as unions paralysed transport and massive crowds clashed with police in Milan — but France is also kicking off, and Westminster, in a very different way, is facing a crisis of legitimacy too
Escalating anti-China rhetoric from the West has a clear purpose – to manufacture consent for the new cold war, and potentially a hot one, argues CARLOS MARTINEZ
THE British education system often seems beset by gloom. Teachers are dispirited and alienated from the profession — and so they are leaving in droves. If we try to analyse the cause, it is difficult to pinpoint any one factor.
Is it Ofsted? Is it the relentless pursuit of grades? Is it the deskilling? The polarisation in the absurd “trad v prog” debate? Is it poor behaviour? Low pay and overwork? Is it simply that we feel undervalued? Maybe all of the above?
It was therefore a privilege to meet Dr Santiago Rivera at Bolton Socialist Club earlier this month where he discussed education in Cuba, Cuban life more generally and the challenges faced by the illegal blockade of Cuba.
More from this author
The NEU’s annual conference promises heated debate, with motions on international politics, curriculum reform and union amalgamation likely to provoke strong reactions and challenge the status quo, writes Education for Tomorrow editor ROBERT POOLE
The series unveils uncomfortable truths about youth alienation and online radicalisation — but the real crisis lies in austerity and the absence of class consciousness in addressing young people’s disillusionment, says teacher ROBERT POOLE
From colonialism to the Troubles, the story of England’s first colony is one of exploitation, resistance, and solidarity — and one we should fight to ensure is told, writes teacher ROBERT POOLE
As the government moves to rein in academy freedoms, former darling of conservative education reform Katharine Birbalsingh cries ‘Marxism.’ Education columnist ROBERT POOLE examines how academisation has failed our children while enriching executives and empowering ideologues at the expense of democratic accountability
